Winter bright spots

This is our yard. Two bright red cardinals in a black and white world. We had had ice the day before, the trees and plants shrouded in thick ice. This day, there were 3 pair of cardinals and 50 other birds at the backyard feeder to brighten our day. Himself keeps the feeders stocked which is the key to keeping the birds in our yard and not the neighbor's!

this photo borrowed from the internet. My hotbed is more narrow and longer and set right up against a concrete wall -- for thermal gain, I thought.

Next year, I will know I need something to heat the soil. Maybe I'll use it in the fall for one more radish crop or start in March to get a head start on peas. Forget January and February. I think organic is the way to garden and eat so I will be doing a lot more experimenting with food crops and production methods.

Pulled the Plug

My latest experiment was a hotbed against the south concrete wall of the house. Fall lingered on and winter came late so I sowed some seeds in the 30"X 48" little greenhouse, improvised with an old window and cast off lumber. With only solar heat during the day and a rug thrown over the glass at night, I babied the lettuce and radishes into January. They grew slowly but they stayed green and I kept telling myself that I learned just a bit more every day I kept them alive. Then in January it began to snow. The temperatures dropped. Artic air swooped in and sat. The January deep freeze was too much. One day this week, I went out and pulled the plug.

Comfort

It isn't even pretty but long ago when times were hard and winters long and cold, someone cut worn, heavy winter coats into strips and pieced them together into this "iron" comforter and lined it with a worn Navajo blanket. No blanket in the world is as warm as this one. With creativity and determination, our Lady of the Quilt cut and sewed dark strips into rhythm and symmetry.

The comforter warmed me as a child. As an adult, the work that went in to the quilt warms my heart and fires my imagination.

When I saved it from Mama's diminished household, the ties were breaking and the comforter thread-bare in places. Fragile. For six months it has moved around my house, room to different room, calling for the mending. Finally, tonight it is the sewing machine. Another step or two and it will be done, reinforced for another 50 years of warmth and comfort.

Video Clips

Yes! I like the video clips that I have finally learned how to put in. I will use that option more often, now, on my camera. If the clips below, look black or blank, just go ahead and double click on the start arrow. That should start the video clip. Have fun!

MORE! Rock n Roll

and one "behind the scenes" guy . . .

Rock n Roll Babies

Rock n Roll Children1

The first clip I took turned into a brawl with Morghan and Jack going all out. Seriously. On this one, they are just playing!

Maternal Instincts

At almost 88 years, Mama's memory is gone. Short term memory is almost non-existent. Long ago childhood memories are fading now too but sometimes long engrained habits come through. Saturday was one such day.

I plopped Audrianna on her lap and Great Granny relished holding, smelling and touching baby Audri. She checked her hands to see if baby was warm enough. She took the bottle to feed the little one but realized Audri was too interested in what was going on around her to eat. Mama reminded herself, Morghan Grace and me that you have to hold tight to a babe this size, they wiggle.

Mama knows these things after nine children, 24 grandchildren and 34 "greats" -- and baby Audri sensed it. She leaned back, relaxed and kicked one little leg.

Putting this segment behind

I am now clean for 4 months and I won't write about it anymore. Other people do bigger, better things. Give up bigger addictions. Climb higher mountains. Inspire more people. I will just, each month, focus on the next month's anniversary. Then, as the years go by, I will look towards the next year's anniverary.